Specialties

Emotions

A big part of my doctoral studies involved diving into the emotional decoding work of Karla McLaren. I then created a playful way for myself and others to explore personal scenarios of emotions. Each challenging emotion carries helpful messages that ease decision making in life. Mindfulness helps to identify emotions without reacting or being carried away by them.

Trauma, at the same time, can shrink our window of tolerance, or our ability to navigate the every day ups and downs of life experiences. This can lead to what can feel like “stuck” emotional states such as chronic anxiety, depression, social anxiety, reactive anger, or shame. Therapy can help expand this window of tolerance to give you a greater feeling of resilience and choice.

Eco-relationship

Maybe you feel disconnected and alienated from nature. Or maybe you are experiencing eco-grief, eco-fear, and other waves of feelings related to the human – other-than-human relationship at this time. I can share practices to help cultivate a more connected relationship with the earth / the other-than-human or to help navigate these eco-feelings. Please contact me if I can be of support to navigate this vital element of being alive on our beautiful earth.

Play

Maybe you didn’t get to play as you would have liked as a child. Maybe you lost your playful spark somewhere along the way. I can help.

Play prioritizes feelings and self expression over “getting it right”.

Scientists have discovered that it takes approximately 400 repetitions to create a new synapse in the brain, unless it is done in play, in which case it only takes 10 – 20 repetitions. (Dr. Karyn Purvis)

I am inspired by possibilities of playfulness in relational somatic therapy. If together we can approach body impulses from a playful lens, it can decrease feelings of self consciousness about the context or content of the body impulse. Playful embodiment of animal movement can help get in touch with anger as a protective friend and source of primal energy. Therapy is in a sense a play space, or a set-apart space where we can test or try things out.

Humour

Maybe you feel like everything you do or say is wrong. Maybe you feel that something is intrinsically wrong with you. This can be rooted in something called developmental shame. If your environment was somehow challenging, it was safer to think there was something wrong with you than with what was happening around you.

Shame wants to hide but needs connection. And humour is the best antidote of all to shame.

All of my clown work has made me quite goofy (or brought out what was there all along?). When appropriate, I like to bring in some gentle humour into sessions.

Shared moments of joy and laughter are a potent way to find a calm yet alive connection with another in the present moment.

Break Ups

I can help you move through the grief and the enormous transition of a relationship ending and find meaning on the other side. I work within LGBTQIA2S+ and polyamorous paradigms as well as monogamous/heterosexual relationships.